1. Field of the Invention
The subject invention generally relates to improvements in cabinet construction and more specifically relates to prefabricated modular cabinets that are designed for layman installation and can be easily adapted to fit along various lengths and configurations of wall spaces.
2. Description of the Related Art
A great majority of cabinets in homes, apartments, offices and the like, are custom built on site and installed by highly skilled carpenters during the course of construction of the home, apartment, office, etc. Typically, the general contractor schedules the carpenters to begin building and installing the cabinets after the walls have been erected and covered with some type of wallboard. While at the construction site, the carpenters custom cut the various cabinet structures to fit the designated wall space. After the cabinets are in place, other subcontractors, such as painters, electricians and plumbers are scheduled to perform their part of the construction project. This method of constructing and installing cabinets is time consuming and requires a relatively high degree of carpentry skills, which usually results in higher costs for the consumer.
With the increased costs of skilled carpentry labor, and the extensive time required to install custom built cabinetry, consumers have sought alternative methods for obtaining professional looking cabinetry with less investment in time and money. One such method is to manufacture and ship prefabricated cabinet assemblies directly to the construction site for installation. U.S. Pat. No. 3,926,486 to Sasnett discloses such a cabinet system where the installation of prefabricated floor-to-ceiling modular kitchen units is facilitated by a corner unit that permits the insertion of spaced connectors for joining modular units in an L-shaped layout.
Another version of a prefabricated cabinet system is presented in U.S. Pat. No. 3,993,377 to Montroy, wherein the prefabricated cabinet assembly implements an intermediate bulkhead construction to eliminate double panel construction, thereby substantially reducing the material and transportation costs involved.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,892,452 to Williams et al discloses a modular cabinet system composed of cabinets which have sloping sidewalls and a sloping top wall to enable nesting of the cabinets during storage and shipment.
Unlike the modular cabinet assembly of the present invention, the cabinet assemblies disclosed in the aforementioned prior art have a common problem in that they fail to provide cabinet assemblies that can be adjusted to any length and configuration of wall space and can be installed by persons with relatively little carpentry skills. The present invention satisfies such a need by providing prefabricated, modular cabinet assemblies that have a professionally installed appearance and that can be fitted along any length of available wall space by those who have minimal carpentry skills